In the radiant sunshine of Hochfilzen, Uros Velepec, the fresh face of German biathlon coaching, chuckled as he jokes with his athletes during training. The air was electric, buzzing with anticipation, as the squad prepared for the World Cup opener in Hochfilzen. After a record-breaking start to the season, the men's sprint was expected to carry on the team's success. And with Philipp Nawrath leading the overall World Cup, thanks in no small part to Velepec, expectations were high.
"Velepec's helped me build the necessary self-confidence," Nawrath shared with the German Press Agency in Austria. The 30-year-old clinched his first World Cup win in Sweden, followed by a second-place finish the next day, securing the coveted yellow jersey. However, past problems in standing shooting had often hampered better results. It would be unjust to attribute the recent surge solely to Velepec, but there's no denying that something's shifted within the German team this summer.
Velepec, an open and communicative individual, brings a bag of psychological tricks up his sleeve. The former Mark Kirchner assistant, who retired in the spring, handed over the reigns to Velepec. Joined by Jens Filbrich as a new assistant coach, the team embraced fresh training plans and a new methodology. "Mark left behind a highly organized squad poised for a fantastic start," Nawrath reflected. "All it needed was some fine-tuning in key areas."
Now, in the snow-covered Pillerseetal, Justus Strelow echoed Nawrath's sentiments. The Saxon, who achieved a strong start in fourth place in the overall standings, shared that Velepec's speeches were highly motivational. His knack for employing psychological tricks with finesse held the team in good stead. "We must be bolder, shoot faster and give our all, or we'll have no chance," Velepec preached before his debut season.
The change must come quickly, Velepec, the hard-charging triathlete, urged. Norwegian opponents, with Johannes Thingnes Bö setting the pace, demand a certain audacity. A self-confident approach would prevent them from setting the podium's pace. "This is the only way we can put pressure on the others," Strelow rationalized.
Before the winter began, doubters questioned the German team's potential. But now, sporting the yellow jersey, Roman Rees and the relay team shook up the biathlon world. Franziska Preuß, the female German biathlete, would also compete in the women's sprint, donning the coveted yellow jersey. Velepec's mantra remained simple: "I just hope it continues like this for us."
Enrichment Data
Determined to improve the team's performance in the standing shooting, Velepec championed the concept of "Risiko-Schießen" (Risk Shooting). This daring approach encouraged athletes to shoot with decisive haste and unbridled ferocity, deviating from conventional precision strategies. The team embraced the new methodology to confront high-pressure scenarios head-on, ultimately leading to notable improvements.
